The risk of vertebral cortical shell fracture increases with aging. However, it remains unclear how aging contributes to cortex fracture at present. The aim of this study is to make understanding of the mechanism of how the spinal aging influences the cortical shell strain. Two finite element (FE) models of spinal segments (mildly and fully aged) were created, and then were compared to the FE models of the healthy spinal segment. The FE models of the aged spinal segments were generated by modifying both the geometry of the intervertebral disc (IVD) and the material properties of the spinal components. To find out under which case the cortical shell strain was influenced more, we created two types of FE model comparison methods: one with changes only in the spinal material properties and the other with changes only in the IVD geometry. The results showed that the cortical shell strains increased with aging and that compared to the changes of IVD geometry, the changes of spinal material property have a higher influence on the cortical shell strains. This study may suggest that for the prevention and treatment of vertebral cortex fracture, the augmentation of the vertebral body is a more effective treatment.
ObjectivesTo understand the quantitative measurement tools for active aging and compare the index construction, applicability and application of different tools domestically and abroad, so as to provide a scientific basis for the formulation and improvement of localized measurement tools for active aging.MethodsWe performed electronical searches on PubMed, Web of Science, Elsevier, CNKI, WanFang Data, VIP, and websites of WHO, European Commission, United Nations Economic Commission for Europe from April 2002 to November 2019. Two reviewers independently screened literature and extracted data according to inclusion and exclusion criteria, and conducted a qualitative analysis and comparison of the obtained measurement tools.ResultsA total of 36 researches were included, which involved 9 original active aging quantitative measurement tools. Specifically, 3 were from Thailand, 2 were from China, 1 was from the European Union, Russia, Australia and Finland, respectively. There were 2 to 3 dimensions of the tools, 3 to 10 items of primary measurement targets, and 11 to 177 items of measurement indicators. The construction of the dimension and first-level measurement goals were mainly based on the three pillars of health, participation, and security which composed WHO’s policy framework. The indicators of tools had measured the health, participation, and security targets except for the AAQ-CHN (2012) and AAL-Thai (2016) tools. Five age-specific indicators of the use of electronic information technology equipment, voluntary services, participation in political activities, access to health care services, and lifelong learning habits appeared in the EU tool. The AAI-EU's empirical applications and related 20 studies had been published mainly in Europe, Asia, and the Americas. AAI-Thai (2006) and AAI-Thai (2014) were used in empirical researches in Asia and China, respectively, and the 3rd and 4th studies were published.ConclusionsThe indicators' design of AAI-EU (2012) has the most contemporary characteristics, the most confirmatory research and widest application. The development of Chinese localized quantitative measurement tools should take advantage of the EU and other representative measurement tools.
Comorbidity is a prominent public health problem in the elderly population. To carry out research on the comorbidity of the elderly is not only an important breakthrough to realize the national strategy of actively responding to the aging population, but also a vivid practice of earnestly implementing the "Healthy China" and other action programs. Based on the major public health issues of elderly comorbidity, this paper lists the main contents and methods of elderly comorbidity research from the perspective of secondary research and empirical research, and holds that this field contains both the profound thought of "holistic concept" and the advanced idea of "integrative medicine". At the same time, under the background of the new era, the gradual deepening of the research in this field may give birth to a brand-new discipline - geriatric comorbidity.
With the continuous aging of the population in China, the aging of skeletal muscle in the elderly has seriously affected national health and poses a severe challenge to the public health system. Early detection of skeletal muscle aging, and early warning, prevention, and treatment are of great significance for achieving healthy aging. In order to select a series of clinically operable biomarkers for skeletal muscle aging, and to further standardize the early identification and precise diagnosis of skeletal muscle aging, a multidisciplinary team of experts has registered and written this protocol to provide a detailed introduction to the planning process for the development of the consensus.